The Heart of Home
by LibbyLou22
Summary: Set a few months after Season 7. Amy struggles to find her place in the world and balance her marriage to Ty. Jack and Lisa struggle with a health issue. Lou's family faces major changes. The entire family is devastated by the loss of a loved one that will forever change their lives.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all, I am back!**

**I am not sure how long this will be. It will be a multi chapter fic with all the characters included. **

**This takes place a few months after the season seven. With this first chapter serving as an introduction of sorts. **

**Thanks to The Real TC for all the help!**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing if I did, well I would not be writing this. **

* * *

Amy Fleming-Borden looked eagerly out the small plane's window as the ground approached and saw her husband Ty standing near his truck. She glanced down at the rings on her finger and smiled. Ty had come to visit her during winter break, spending a month traveling with her and the two had eloped during their time in Paris. They had called home after the fact; Lou had been upset; Tim had been rather unhappy as well, but the rest of her family had wished them congratulations. Amy had been particularly happy to elope. The stress of planning a wedding absent, she had had Soraya come and be their witness, she had bought a white dress and it had been so beautifully simple.

Amy smiled even wider as the plane touched down and slowed to a stop. She had never liked flying— especially after everything that had happened with Ty and Scott and the crash that had nearly killed them. Even after months of flying around Europe, the best part of the flight was when the plane touched the ground.

She had spent nearly four months training and advising Ahmed's team; getting them qualified for the World Equestrian Games that would be held that summer in Normandy. She had not once had the opportunity to return home but she had found that traveling the world with horses and horsey people had made traveling actually fun. She had called Soraya who had joined her, having been dumped by her boyfriend a month prior.

Ahmed's fascination with Amy had not lasted long as he and Soraya had hit it off. The two began dating and had become practically inseparable; Soraya was even returning to Alberta with the team.

Amy turned and looked excitedly at Soraya, who only smiled. She unbuckled her belt and pushed past her teammates to the front of the plane.

As she walked down the steps she found herself moving faster until she was jogging across the spring grass to meet her husband. As the two met and embraced, Amy felt tears well up in her eyes. It was good to be home!

* * *

Lou smiled as she looked out the window at her daughters and her husband who were building a tree house in the oak tree that sat outside their new house. They had found the place before Christmas and the couple had fallen in love with the sprawling 250–acre ranch. It sat directly behind Heartland and was accessed by a completely different road making it a short drive or a ten to fifteen minute ride on horseback. The house was two stories with 4 bedrooms and it had a few trees that had been planted years ago that were now tall enough for her oldest daredevil daughter to climb. In the largest they were building a tree house that had three levels. One that was only a few feet off the ground was for Katie, then a second one higher up connected with railed stairs that was actually in the tree. A third level higher up was only for Georgie.

Peter had quit his job two weeks ago. Lou had plans to write another book and had received an advance for the first few chapters. Her first book had not been big in Alberta, but out East and most especially in the U.S., her book had become a best-seller. Her dude ranch had gone from corporate to family getaway overnight. And she would be gone more, so Peter quit the job he hated to stay home. To be home with the girls. She smiled as her phone buzzed with a reminder from Ty that Amy's plane had been early.

Lou turned from the back window and walked out of the bedroom through the house. When her book had taken off, the first thing they wanted to do was to purchase a house. Then Lou and Peter had stumbled upon the ranch, and by the end of the day had an offer in. Two weeks later they were moving out. But suddenly, so was Jack. And now the little house that Lou had grown up in sat empty. She fingered a photo of her and a five-year-old Amy in front of the Heartland Ranch house that was hanging in the hall. Smiling slightly, Heartland was always meant to be Amy's. Heartspring Ranch was their new home.

* * *

Jack Bartlett groaned as he dragged a large box in to the small house. He set it in the corner of the empty kitchen and looked around.

"Lisa?" he called.

His wife peeked her head around the corner. "Yea?" she replied.

"Lou wants us. She says Amy's plane is early. Ty is only gonna be able to stall so long."

"Well, it won't be much of a surprise if she gets there before anyone else," Lisa said as she made her way over to Jack.

Jack looked at her. She was dressed in blue jeans and a black tank top. Over that was a plaid shirt she was using as a jacket, though it very obviously was not hers. He personally liked the look but knew Lou would disapprove, considering the number of guests.

"You need to get ready. Lou wants us over ASAP." Lisa shook her head. "All of my nicer clothes are still at Heartland. I will just get ready over there. You know, this one box a day thing is not working for me. We need to move all of our things over. Ty and Amy are going to want their space. They are newlyweds, after all."

"If I recall, so are we."

Lisa smiled and said, "We had the place to ourselves after Lou and the kids left. We are going to leave those two kids alone. So when it is convenient for them, I will be moving my things out. I suggest you do the same. This was your idea in the first place. I was perfectly content to jump between houses."

Jack nodded. "I know. And I like it here; I do." He kissed Lisa's forehead and she smiled. He did like it and he was very glad she had purchased the place. It was a project, and it was keeping her busy, which was in turn keeping her in Hudson and not off in Paris.

The couple strolled out to the car, each lost in thought. Lisa stopped and turned around. "It's a nice house."

Jack encircled her in his arms. "It's a great house." And it was. It was small and rustic. It had treated wood siding with green trim and stone layered the first few feet of the outside walls. The porch wrapped all the way around the house and had flower gardens that lined the walk-way from the house to the drive. It sat in a shaded grove of trees and looked a lot like a rustic mountain cottage. It was very similar to Heartland in many ways and was in fact just across the street!

The house sat on 400 acres of land but had only the house. Lisa had plains to build her new breading facility there having sold Fairfield. Only a few weeks after their wedding, Lisa had been offered a substantial amount of money for Fairfield which had not been on the market at the time. It had been too good to refuse. She had packed up her things, placing some in storage, and the rest such as furniture had gone with the estate.

After a month at Heartland, the opportunity to purchase the ranch across the street had come up. Lisa, who needed a place to start her horse breeding program, had pounced on it with plans to build a barn. Off in a wooded grove of maples sat the small house. In the beginning, Jack and Lisa where going to bounce between houses, but after two weeks of the two going back and forth, Jack broached the idea of making the house a permanent residence. He did like the house. It reminded him a little of Heartland, it being small and quaint and rustic. But at the same time, it was different: it was quite private, and everything that the secretly married couple could ever want. Heartstone, as they had named their property, was quickly becoming home to Jack and Lisa Bartlett.

* * *

**So that is the first of many chapters. Please review if you want another chapter. I promise there is a plot. **

**Until next time,**

**Libby**


	2. Chapter 2

**So very sorry for the delay! I am in the middle of moving and of course international moving is a pain. Though Denmark is so worth the trouble, I am also starting work. My family starts up cancer research labs allover the world so I am working here for a few months before I head back to med school. When things settle down I would like to get in to the habit of a regular posting schedule. **

**As for this chapter it is short and I still have not really revealed the plot but I swear I have one! Several actually!**

**Thanks so much for all the reviews I have received! They really do make my day!**

**A special thanks to my Beata The Real TC. With out her my stories would be mauvais (bad)! This is not my first or second language... **

~~~Heartland~~~

"TY! This dress is gorgeous! Did you pick it out yourself?" Amy grinned and looked at the dress; it had a tan skirt and a light tannish white lace. A pair of brown and light blue cowboy boots sat below the dress and a new jean jacket hung on a nearby chair completing the outfit.

"Yeah, but Lou helped with the size thing." Ty blushed a little. "Let's get changed. I am taking you out to dinner."

Amy's smile grew more at the thought of a romantic dinner with her husband. "What about everybody? I figured there would be a family dinner or something?"

Ty frowned. "I want to take you out. We can have a bonfire and have everyone over. I want some time with my wife!"

Amy pulled the dress off the hanger. "I love that idea."

"I left my phone in the car. I am goanna go grab it then get changed."

Amy smiled and hurriedly threw her suitcase on the table to dig out her hairbrush.

Ty strode outside, popped the hood on his truck, pulled a fuse out of his truck; smiling and disappearing back in to the house.

~~~Heartland~~~  
Jack unlocked the door to Heartland and looked around the empty house. For the most part it looked the same. When Lou had moved out with the kids she had pulled all of her things from the apartment in Dubai out of storage and purchased nearly everything else that her new home needed. Then when Lisa had sold her home she had sold it fully furnished. But when they moved, Lisa insisted on purchasing new living and dining room furniture. Moving only the bedroom furniture out, they left Heartland nearly fully furnished for Amy and Ty. He stepped in to what used to be his bedroom. The room was empty for the most part, though the closet was still semi-full, and boxes sat scattered around the room.

Lisa walked up behind him and nestled in to his side. "Are you really okay with this?"

Jack smiled and thought for a moment. He had so many memories in this place. Most good, but some like the death of his wife absolutely devastating. Lisa was his second chance. Heartland was and would always be a part of him but Heartstone was truly home. "Lis, I was the one who suggested the move, remember? I love our home. Ty and Amy will take care of this place and I will be happy to know they are safe in a home that has reliable heat, air, electricity, and water.

Lisa chuckled and stood on tip toe to kiss jack's cheek. "Okay." She made her way over to a box and pulled out a dress, frowning at the wrinkles "We took the iron over last week, didn't we?"

Jack froze, then said: "No, I didn't know we needed one. I've never really seen the use for them."

"Jack, I assure you there is indeed a use for them. But at least it's still here." Lisa smiled and headed in the direction of Lou's old room which was full of things that they couldn't decide what to do with.

~~~Heartland~~~  
Ty fumbled with his blue tie. He was struggling to keep his eyes off his wife. She looked stunning: her dress fit perfectly and her boots matched—he was quite proud of himself. She had curled her hair and done up her makeup, and as she put the last touches of lip gloss on, her ring caught the light and Ty grinned from ear to ear. His wife was the most gorgeous girl to ever walk the earth.

Amy turned around and her face wrinkled. "What?" she asked, as a look of horror crossed her face. "Did I get mascara all over?" The cracked mirror was not ideal for eye makeup, and Amy had never been good with a mascara wand.

Ty only smiled and shook his head. Amy glared at him mockingly and stepped over to help him with his tie. She smiled as she tied the knot then kissed him. "I missed you." She kissed him again then pulled away. "Speaking of which, I have something for you."  
Amy pulled away and dug through her extra-large suitcase, pulling out a leather veterinary case. "I saw it in Italy," she declared. "Italian leather. I know most vets don't really use them anymore, but I just couldn't help myself."

Ty smiled. "I love it. I will put my stethoscope in it." Ty kissed her and then forced himself to pull away. "We need to head out. I have reservations."

Amy grinned. "Will we have time to stop after dinner? I want to see Lou and Grandpa."

"I made the reservations late so we have time to stop beforehand. I knew you would want to see them all right away. Jack is probably at Heartland feeding the horses now."

Amy smiled kissed her husband and headed for the door and out to the truck, a bag of goodies for her family in tow. Ty followed her, sliding in to the truck and starting it. The truck made an awful noise and refused to start. "Well, this is great," Amy remarked sadly.

Ty only grinned. "Not to worry; we can take your truck."

Amy looked at him and said, "Ty I don't have a truck. Actually, I don't own anything with four wheels."

"Are you sure? I seem to recall there being one in the shed."

Amy's eyes widened in disbelief. "Ty?" she started, but Ty only climbed out of the truck and pointed to the shed. Amy clambered out behind him and looked at him just in time to see a set of keys flying at her. She caught them and made a beeline for the shed.

"OH MY GOSH TY!" Amy gasped in disbelief. A truck that was a similar model to her grandfather's sat in the shed. It had been completely refinished and panted light blue with white trim. Amy wiped tears away as she jumped up and down and wrapped her husband in a hug.

~~~Heartland~~~

**Ok sorry its short but there is lots of T&A to makeup for that! Please review you make my day! :D **


	3. Chapter 3

So here is chapter three. Not much Ty and Amy but I am still confident that you all will enjoy it! Your reviews mean so much to me! They inspire me!

As always thanks to my supper amazing beata The Real TC!

~~~Heartland~~~

Georgie looked out her binoculars from her perch in a tree near the house. From her vantage point, she could see the road and keep watch as instructed. Suddenly the truck that Ty had refinished came in to view, and Georgie scrambled out of the tree and raced to the Quonset barn where the food and guests where hiding. "They're coming!" she declared.

Lou spun around from her place rearranging the food on the table. "Okay everybody, remember: She will go to the barn, and then we are all going to quietly move to stand outside the barn. When they come out, we yell 'surprise'. Grandpa, turn on all the Christmas lights we strung. Georgie, go! Get to your lookout position!"

Everybody scrambled to take their places.

~~~Heartland~~~

Amy put her truck in park outside the barn. "The lights are on and Lisa's car is here. I bet they are feeding horses," Amy said as she pulled the keys out of the ignition and leaped out of the car. Ty did the same, jogging to catch up with her. As the couple entered the barn, they were met with silence.

"Grandpa?" Amy called, but got no response. She paused to greet each horse and slipped in to Spartan's stall to wrap her favorite black horse in to a hug. She slipped back out of the stall and took Ty's hand, peeking in to the office and calling Jack's name one last time.

Ty sighed as he led Amy toward the door. "He must be in the house," he murmured.

As they stepped outside they were met by a large crowd of people who all yelled, "Surprise!"

The couple jumped in shock, looking at one another. Amy smiled at Ty. "Did you know about this?" she asked.

Ty shook his head. "No," he answered honestly. "Obviously, Lou has had this planned out for a while, though."

The barn yard was lit with Christmas lights, and tables had been pulled out of the Quonset hut and set up near a grill. The table was lined with food and chairs lay in a pile waiting to be set up.

Amy leaped forward, hugging everyone.

Ty hugged Lou. "You pushing me to take her out to dinner; making 'reservations'. You have been planning this."

Lou smiled and hugged Ty again. "Since the moment you two announced that you got married! And you did it without us! We had to celebrate somehow!"

~~~Heartland~~~

Lisa sat down next to Amy who had taken a seat on the porch steps with Lobo.

"Were you surprised?" asked Lisa.

Amy's eyes glittered. "Yes! This whole thing has been a dream; actually, the whole year. Ty comes to Europe to visit me, and suddenly we are planning our wedding. I come home to a new truck and a party! Maybe I should leave more often!"

Lisa smiled and took Amy's hand. "I have always loved traveling. And you're young—you should travel. See the world. I never did—not until I was older. Sometimes, I feel like I've lived most of my life backwards."

Amy's brow furrowed. "How do you mean?" she asked.

Lisa sighed, and then said: "We are not so different, you and I. I know you had to grow up pretty fast when your mum died; so did I. And it's not fair. I like Ty, but I got marred young and I ended up feeling trapped. I don't want you to feel like that. You have so much potential. You can do some great things! I just want to see you live life. That doesn't mean that Ty's not good for you, because he is. But don't let your marriage hold you back. Marriage is supposed to make you a better person. It does not always mean that you have to be together. Travel, learn, explore. Do whatever it is you are passionate about. It's taken me a long time to do that. I'd like to save you a few decades."

Lisa smiled as Amy wiped away a tear and embraced her.

"Thank you, Lisa," Amy said as she pulled away and looked at the older woman. "Can I ask what's brought this on?"

"I ran in to an old photo album of mine," Lisa said. "As I was looking through it I realized how unhappy I was for so long. I just don't want that to happen to you, or Lou. I love you girls."

Lisa looked at the young woman she considered to be her own granddaughter and smiled. "Now go find your husband. I think Jack has a gift for the two of you."

Amy's eyes widened. "The surprises never end do they? I will be back." Amy stood up and strode off in search of Ty; Lobo at her heels.

Lisa sat quietly for a few minutes fingering the ring she wore on her right hand. She and Jack were still quietly enjoying marred life. Lisa had long ago placed the ring he had given her on her right hand—not exactly traditional—but very unique. Finally, she stood up and made her way over to her husband who was sitting on a log next to Lou and Tim with Katie in his lap.

"Jack," she said, "Amy's off looking for Ty."

Jack looked up from his great-granddaughter and nodded. "Will you grab the deed out of the car? We will all meet you at the house in a minute."

Lou clapped her hands excitedly. "Amy and Ty are going to be so surprised!"

Georgie looked at her mother with a dubious expression. "I don't think they will," she stated. "No one lives here. Obviously they would live here and not that dumpy old trailer."

~~~Heartland~~~

"No!" Amy looked down in shock at the paper in her hands. She then looked over at her husband, back to the paper, then at her family. "Seriously?!"

Ty was speechless.

Heartland.

It had been home for a long time. Sometimes he felt it was the only home he had ever truly known. Now, suddenly, it was his and Amy's. It was their job to care for it, protect it, and make it a home for future generations.

This family had done so much for him, and they just kept giving. He was sure that if someone pinched him he would wake up from this dream; that he would find himself in juvenile hall with 'issues' to work through, and no one who cared. But this was real, and he owed it all to a woman he had never met. Marion Fleming had set the wheels in motion for this life he had. She had opened up her home and shared her family with him. Her father had become like a father. Her eldest daughter had become a sister; her youngest daughter, his wife. He had never met her, but he felt like he owed her a great deal for the home she had provided.

~~~Heartland~~~

So I hope you all liked the chapter. As I have said before. I am getting to the SL I am just taking my sweet time about it. :D As always I love to hear from you and it makes me write faster…

Next update soon!

Libby


	4. Chapter 4

Here it is, the longest chapter yet! I hope you all are ok with what comes at the end of this chapter. Well no one will be ok with it but you will get over it I hope.

Thanks to TC for the awesome Beta work.

And on a heavier note this chapter and most of the chapters that follow are dedicated to my twin sister. My other half. My best friend. The other half of all the trouble I ever caused and all the good things I have ever done.

~~~Heartland~~~  
Amy sat quietly on the tailgate of her new truck watching the party, wrapped in the security of Ty's arms. She smiled as her sister approached with two beers.

"Okay, brother. We sisters need some time to talk," Lou stated. "We haven't seen each other in months. We need to catch up a bit." Lou separated the newlyweds and sat down between them.

Ty pretended to look hurt. "Am I allowed to stay?"

Lou paused for a moment. "Of course. But I didn't bring you a drink, and we plan to ignore you and talk about you like you aren't here."

"Lou!" Amy looked at her sister in surprise.

Ty hopped off the tailgate and kissed his wife. "I think I am being kicked out." He mocked a hurt face and Lou kicked his leg. "And abused!" He proclaimed rubbing his shin in protest.

"You're lucky that's all. You did after all marry my little sister without me!" Lou wrapped an arm around her giggling sister as Ty strode off, looking of Caleb.

Amy recovered from her laughter and looked at Lou. "You're not really mad about our eloping are you?"

Lou considered the question. "Well," she finally replied, "I can't say that I am happy about it. But I am not surprised. You are not the type to make a fuss. You wouldn't want to go to any trouble for your wedding. It makes sense. And I am happy for you. Just wish I could have been a part of it."

Amy wiped away a tear. "It's not the wedding that matters," she said. "It is what comes after it. That's what's important."

"Jeeze, when did you become so philosophical?"

Amy flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Oh, you know, shortly after I began traveling Europe," she replied smartly. The two sisters giggled and Amy laid her head on Lou's shoulder. "So much has changed," she said with a sigh.

"Just because you left doesn't mean our world stopped." It was Lou's turn to sigh. "So tell me all about your trip."

Amy pulled away, her eyes glittering. "Oh, Lou!" she exclaimed with enthusiasm. " It was so awesome. I met all these people and they had some of the coolest horses! We went all over the place. I loved it. But I don't think coaching is the thing I really want to do. I don't know; I liked it. But it's just not what I want to do for the rest of my life."

"Rest of your life? Wow. What's brought on that?" asked Lou in surprise. "You have ages to figure out what it is you want to do."

Amy shook her head. "I don't know. I guess I just see all these people with a place in the world. I don't feel like I fit yet. I want to help the troubled horses, but I want to figure out a way to reach as many people as possible."

~~~Heartland~~~

Lisa smiled as her husband spun her around the makeshift dance floor. The music changed to a slow song and she burrowed her head into his shirt, wishing this moment would never end. "I have to go to France again," she murmured.

Jack looked down at her sadly. "When?" he asked.

"As soon as possible," she answered. "I close on the new house."

Lisa had sold the large villa she had purchased in order to fund her new project and had in turn purchased a small, ten acre place with a small house and a barn for her trips which she planned to make shorter to focus on her new venture. Her business would however require her to travel back and forth to France, but for much shorter time spans.

"How long you going to be gone?" Jack asked; this was the one thing they had yet to work out. Sometimes he felt they probably never would truly resolve the France issue. She had decided to go for shorter amounts of time. But Jack still disliked being away from her. Yet he didn't want to get on another plane anytime soon. He would prefer she didn't buy another house in France, but he knew that France was a place she loved and was going to be a very important part of her new business.

"Not too long," Lisa said in answer to his Jack's question. She looked up and smiled. "I was thinking about leaving on Monday, then flying back on Thursday."

Jack sighed. "Really?"

"Yes. But I won't be long." Lisa laid her head on his chest; she could tell he was disappointed.

"I know it won't be long." Jack pulled his wife close, still wishing she didn't have to go.

~~~Heartland~~~

Ty wrapped an arm around his wife as the couple headed for the house—their house. The last car had pulled out of the drive ten minutes ago and Ty and Amy had finished night check. It was well after midnight, yet it seemed as though it was only nine or ten.

Amy stopped as they reached the top of the porch and turned to look out up the sprawling landscape before them before turning and going inside. It was all theirs now. She had so much to do. Between her grandfather and Lou both having moved, the house was an absolute disaster. Boxes littered nearly every room. She vowed that by the end of the week before her first client horse arrived they would have the house in order.

Jun 27Part 2 of edits:

~~~Heartland~~~  
Lou sighed as she collapsed on the couch next to Peter after Ty and Amy's Party. "I have to go into Calgary tomorrow to meet with my publicist. Do you need anything?" she asked.

Peter shook his head. "No. What about Katie? Your dad and I are going to an auction to buy some cattle."

Lou frowned. "I will see if Georgie can watch her; if not we can ask Amy or Lisa." Lou paused for a minute. "So… cows. Are you really gonna do this?"

Peter looked at Lou. "I want to. I really do," he answered honestly. "I don't want to be working away from home any more, but I can't not work. My grandfather was a cattle rancher. I loved helping him as a kid, and I like helping Jack and Tim. This is what I want to do."

Lou chuckled. "An oil guy turned cattle rancher. I never thought I'd see that!"

Peter smiled and said, "I never thought I'd be one! But I am really excited to do this."

Lou kissed his cheek. "Me, too," she said happily.

~~~Heartland~~~

Monday morning found Lisa cooking breakfast in their new home for the entire family. Dishes clattered as the family devoured two large  
stacks of pancakes.

"So, Grandpa; Lisa: Why the breakfast? What was so important?" Lou inquired as she pulled another oatmeal butterscotch pancake off the stack in the middle of the table. "Lisa, I thought you were only going to be gone for a week."

Lisa took Jack's hand under the table as he began speaking. "In November, before Amy, left I asked Lisa to marry me and a few days later, we did."

Lisa smiled as all the girls gasped and Georgie clapped her hands together. "We wanted to keep it quiet for a while; just between the two of us."

The table was quiet for a moment before everyone began talking all at once. Jack held his hands up in an appeal for silence. "Okay, one at a time," he ordered.

Lou was of course rather upset as she stood up with a hurt look on her face. "Six months! Grandpa, I might understand a couple of weeks, but six months!"

Lisa nodded. "Lou, we had planned to tell you all when Amy came home for Christmas, but when Ty decided to fly over during break instead of her coming home, we decided to wait till everyone was together."

Amy smiled and squeezed Ty's hand under the table. "I suppose it runs in the family, Lou," she said. "You'll just have to get used to it." Amy then stood up and walked over and wrapped Jack, then Lisa into hugs. "I am so happy for you two!"

Suddenly the whole table was up hugging and congratulating the couple. Though Lou was still rather upset about the secret, she made her way over to hug and congratulate her grandfather and Lisa.

An hour was spent talking until Lisa looked up at the clock and it dawned on her that she had a flight to catch. "Oh!" she said suddenly. "Guys, I have to get a move on! I am going to hit traffic and parking at the airport is an absolute nightmare!"

"Lisa, I have errands to run in Calgary. I can drop you off at the airport," Peter said, looking around the table.

Lisa smiled and said, "That would be great!"

Lou quickly frowned at the plan. "Peter, I have to have the car today Katie has a checkup."

Lisa only shook her head. "No problem," she said. "We'll take my car. I won't be needing it for a few days; you are more than welcome to drive it."

Peter nodded in agreement and kissed all three of his girls goodbye and headed for the door. Lisa followed suit, hugging everyone and pausing to kiss Jack goodbye before grabbing her bag and following Peter out the door.

~~~Heartland~~~

Lisa sat quietly doing paperwork in the passenger seat while Peter drove down Centre Avenue on the outskirts of town. Traffic had not been too bad and now they were actually going the speed limit.

"Don't mind Lou," Peter said, referring to Lou's rather upset demeanor through breakfast. "You know she is only mad because she loves you two. You know how she is. Control freak and stuff."

Lisa looked up from her paperwork. "I know. I would probably have felt the same way. She and I are not so different, you know. She will get over it in time."

"It's just that you and Jack, and then Ty and Amy, and I think she feels very left out."

Lisa nodded. "I know," she said. "I suppose this eloping stuff runs in the family."

"It does, actually. Tim told me that he and Marion eloped. I suppose Lou missed that gene!" Peter said, smiling as he hit another green light.

Lisa smiled and looked over at Peter in surprise. "Really? I had-" Lisa didn't finish. A large Mac semi truck had run through the red light at the bottom of a hill on the cross street. Lisa said nothing else as she heard the sounds of metal shattering windows, and felt the car flip.

Peter only felt the impact of the truck hitting his side of the car. Suddenly every moment of importance in his life was playing back to him. His wedding; Katie's first steps; her birth; meeting Lou; his tenth birthday; Georgie's adoption; the house; the cows; Jack; Lisa; Amy; Ty; his mom; his dad; and once more his three girls. 

~~~Heartland~~~

So it will be a week or so before I can get this next update this is a sensitive subject for me and I want to make it some of my best work. I have lost a family member in this way so car accidents are not something I take lightly. This is kind of my tribute to her. And in a way it's probably a way to project my grief in to something productive (I just finished a phycology class…).

I hope you will be kind in your reviewing. Please do let me know what you think. It really dose meen the world to me to read your comments, suggestions, encouragement, and thoughts on the chapters!

~Libby


	5. Chapter 5

Hello! Sorry for the wait. I wanted to get the feelings for each character right… And As I said this is a hard thing for me to write about….

Thank you thank you so much for all the reviews! They really truly made me finish this chapter!

Thanks as well to TC for her awesome beata work!

~~~Heartland~~~  
Amy groaned and ran her hands through her hair. Lou laughed softly. "It's a lot more than you thought, isn't it?" she asked.

Amy leafed through the papers on the desk. "I had no idea you did all this!"

"I know. And if you want me to I can keep doing it. I don't mind," Lou said.

Amy shook her head. "You have your own stuff to deal with. I should be able to run my own business. I will figure it out—and you can help me when I need it—but I really want to do this myself."

Lou bit her lip. "Please, promise you won't run this place like mom did," she begged. "She was always a month away from bankruptcy. When I came home, this place was in bad shape and we've only just got it back out of the hole that was dug."

Amy thought back to the first year after her mom's death; how uptight Lou had been about the money and her clients paying on time.

"Lou," she stated, "I don't know what I want to do. I have learned all these amazing things and everyone always says I have this gift, but I don't know what it is I want to do with my life. I have tried training, colt starting, Liberty work, and I have learned a lot form all that… But I don't know what it is I want to do for the rest of my life.

"I am old enough now that I need to have a plan. I have a husband and we have so many school loans to pay for, and now this place. I need to be doing something. I feel like I should be. I am not sixteen anymore; I am an adult. But I have no idea what it is I want to do. I mean, I have the locals who have problems, but that's not enough to really keep this place running."

The two sisters were quiet for a moment before Lou spoke up, her eyes glittering with an idea. "You have some great resources," she said excitedly. "You have the entire dude ranch, and we just built the new barn for the dude horses, but we haven't had a reservation in two months. I've been thinking about closing it. What if you offered clinics there? Let people camp, rent a cabin, house their horses in the barn and do weekend clinics. You could build a few round pens and an arena out there and do clinics right there."

Amy's eyes sparkled with excitement as she processed the idea. "I love it! This—this is why you are my sister."

Lou laughed and stood up. "I will leave you to all this. I have to go back over to Grandpa's and pick up the girls. Katie has a doctor's appointment."

Amy nodded. "If you want, I can watch Georgie," she said. "I am sure she would rather not go."

Lou smiled. "Amy, that would be great!" she replied. "You know she missed you a lot when you were gone."

"Yeah, well, I will ride over with you, then we will walk back and she can help me work a few of the horses." Amy stood up and followed Lou toward the door and out in to the barn yard.

"I see where you are going with this! You want my daughter as a little barn helper," Lou teased as she walked toward her SUV.

Amy rolled her eyes. "No, I want to spend time with my niece. It just so happens that we like to bond over cleaning stalls and working horses."

The sisters clambered into the car, squabbling during the five-minute drive to Jack and Lisa's house across the street. As they scrambled out of the car, Georgie dropped out of a tree and came to meet them.

"How are the trees here?" Lou asked, smiling at her eldest daughter. "Are they better than the ones at our house?"

Georgie thought for a moment. "There is no tree house, but they are not bad here," she commented.

Lou and Amy only laughed. Georgie had a few months ago completed the 'Hunger Games' books and movies. Now, like nearly every other girl her age, she seemed to think she was Katniss Everdeen. She had started braiding her hair down one side, and was climbing trees.  
The threesome were half way up the walk way when a police car pulled up. Both Lou and Amy froze, grabbing one another's hands, knowing somehow that their world was about to be shattered. Jack came out onto the porch as the two officers walked toward them. He, too, somehow knew that something was very wrong.

~~~Heartland~~~

Shattered did not even begin to describe Lou's world.

"… was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital."

The officer's words kept replaying in her head. It all seemed like a bad dream. She ran her hands through her oldest daughter's hair. Georgie had fallen asleep, her head in Lou's lap, when she had run out of tears. She looked to her left where Katie sat in her car seat. She, too, was asleep but was blissfully unaware of the family's loss.

Lou made eye contact with Amy who was driving wordlessly. No one had said anything. Amy had taken the keys from her hands and they had climbed into the car. Now as they pulled up to the hospital Lou was unsure if she trusted her legs to walk. She wasn't sure if she wanted them to take her into the building where her dead husband lay; where her grandfather's wife lay in critical condition. She looked over to each of her daughters and tears pooled again.

Amy put the SUV in park next to a familiar blue truck, relieved to see Ty had beat her to the hospital. She climbed out and was even more relieved to find Ty standing near his truck, talking on the phone. He hung up and engulfed her immediately in a hug.

"Ty, this is so awful," Amy whispered into his chest.

Not knowing what to say, Ty simply kissed the top of her head. The two broke away and Ty walked around to get Katie out of the car. Amy opened the door and quietly shook Georgie awake. The little girl woke with a start, confused for a moment. She climbed out and looked around for a brief spell. Then it hit her. Her dad was gone. And she began to wipe away more tears. Ty, who was holding a sleepy Katie, took Georgie's hand and headed for the hospital doors with a very somber Jack Bartlett behind them.

Lou looked teary-eyed at Amy and stated in a rather childish way, "I'm not leaving."

Amy took a deep breath, unsure how to handle her grieving sister.

"Jack Bartlett?" A young blond doctor in dark scrubs called out from the doorway.

Jack, who had taken to pacing the waiting room the moment he had arrived, looked up. The doctor, who was in charge of Lisa's case, introduced himself as Dr. Ron Sayers. Jack's brow creased in doubt. This kid looked much too young to be a doctor, much less be in charge of any patients.

Dr. Sayers shook Jack's hand and motioned for him to sit down. "Your wife is out of surgery," he said. "We are going to keep her in ICU for a day or so. She has a few broken ribs, several deep lacerations from the windshield, but all of those will heal with time. We have two main concerns right now: Your wife suffered a trauma to the head which caused a hemorrhage. We got the bleeding under control, but we are not sure if there will be any lasting damage to her brain until she wakes up."

"The other concern is with her left leg. The car was actually crushed, her leg somehow was entangled in it, and the workers on the scene had to use the Jaws of Life to extricate her. The damage is significant. There was a lot of blood loss and while it looks like we were able to save her leg we can't really be sure yet. The blood flow was cut off for longer than it should have been and the nerves are severely damaged. Right now she is in critical but stable condition. We can let you see her now if you like, though we plan to keep her sedated for the next day or so."

Jack sighed in relief and followed the doctor down the corridor.

Ty sat stock still next to where Jack and the doctor had been sitting, holding Katie while Lou—who Amy had finally convinced to come in—slept with her head on his shoulder, drooling rather disgustingly down his shirt. Georgie sat to the left of him and had taken his phone and begun to play a game, trying to distract herself from reality.

~~~Heartland~~~

For the past few months, Amy had rather liked feeling like a real grown-up: a wife with a good job, and so on. But today, Amy would have given anything to go back to being younger. She had suddenly taken responsibility for the entire family. Lou could not bear to identify Peter's body, and while Amy may have coaxed her out of the car, Lou had not said a word. The police had tried to talk to her, but Amy had finally walked Lou in to sit with Ty and the girls, and took charge of the situation. She now knew how Lou must have felt after her mom's death years prior.

It was simply not fair. Peter had quit his job to stay home with the kids and run some cattle. Their lives were just starting to become normal. They had two kids! How was this fair? And her grandfather! Amy knew nothing of Lisa's condition, or if she was even still alive; the woman who had become such an important part of their lives, not to mention Jack's.

None of this was fair.

~~~Heartland~~~

That's it for now! Another chapter to follow in a week or so. I am going to be in London for a few days and probably won't have time to write… Reviews as always would be so fantastic!

Love you all!

Libby


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